trestle was far, far away, so Gramma stayed with him while everybody
else went ahead. They found a place to climb down the bluff and play on the
beach. Johnny Top wanted to build a sandcastle, so they chose a spot and he and
Gramma started digging. Suddenly two gnomes appeared.
“Look, Johnny
Top,” said Gramma. “Sand gnomes.”
They had bare
feet and wore speckled, sandy colored pants and shirts. Their faces had sandy
freckles by the thousand. They looked at Johnny Top with great interest. Gnomes
are puzzled by human babies and little ones—they can’t understand how such
vast, cosmic beings can be so helpless. It doesn’t make sense to them.
Johnny Top
stared back at them and laughed. “Who are you?” he asked. They looked funny to
him.
“I’m Cillie,”
said one with a huge big grin.
“And I’m
Conn,” said the other, winking an eye. “What are you doing?”
“Building a
sandcastle,” said Johnny Top. “Come play.”
“Okay,” said
Cillie and Conn and joined in straight away. They ran around and helped Johnny
Top build the castle.
“We can put a
wall here,” said Cillie, showing how to shape the sand.
“And a tower
there,” said Conn, and they built a tower.
“You can make
a gateway over here,” said Cillie, pointing. “You dig it out with your
fingers.”
“Now we need a
bridge over the moat,” said Conn. “Let’s look for a piece of wood.”
Johnny Top and
the gnomes searched the shore and found a piece of wood beside a clump of
seaweed. It became the bridge that spanned the moat. Then they put in pebble
windows and planted seaweed trees. Soon they had a real castle. All they needed
was a prince and princess standing on a tower. Everyone searched up and down
the beach for the prince and princess. Finally Gramma found two twirly
seashells.
“Here they
are,” said Gramma, and she put them side by side on top of two twigs on the
tower. Cillie and Conn touched them and they turned into a handsome prince and
princess. Johnny Top was delighted.
“Watch out!”
cried Gramma suddenly. “A wave’s coming.”
The wave shot
up the sand and everyone had to jump up and run away. It flooded the moat but
didn’t touch the castle.
“Deepen the
moat,” cried Cillie, and Johnny Top and Gramma dug furiously.
“Build a sea
wall,” shouted Conn. “The King of Tides is rising!”
They dug and
built the sea wall as fast as they could. They were just in time, for another
wave came washing up the beach. It hit the sea wall with a splash, but still
didn’t touch the castle.
“Yea, we saved
the castle,” cried Johnny Top, dancing around.
But the King
of Tides was coming in and coming in. Bit by bit the sea wall crumbled and
washed away.
“Save the
prince and princess,” said Gramma.
Cillie and Conn grabbed them from the tower and gave them to Johnny Top. A moment later the next wave
rushed over the sea wall and the castle began to crumble. Wave after wave came
and soon there was nothing but a pile of sand on the beach.
“That was
fun,” said Cillie and Conn, “but it’s time for us to go.”
“Bye, Cillie!
Bye, Conn!” called Johnny Top and Gramma.
Cillie and Conn waved goodbye and skipped down the beach towards the sea. They laughed and shouted
until a wave rushed towards them. Just before the water washed over their heads
they dived into the sand and were gone.
Chapter 46
Whale
Watching
After lunch
Farmer John took the kids whale watching. They drove into Summer’s Fort and
down Main Street. Just before the bridge that leaped across the Noyo River they turned left and wound their way down to the harbor.
They parked
the car and walked along the quay. Fishing and crabbing and pleasure boats
lined the docks. They rocked gently on the water or rattled and clanked as folk
got ready to go to sea. Farmer John stopped at a blue and white boat. It had a
small cabin towards the front just big enough for one or two people. Its name,
written neatly on the side, was
else went ahead. They found a place to climb down the bluff and play on the
beach. Johnny Top wanted to build a sandcastle, so they chose a spot and he and
Gramma started digging. Suddenly two gnomes appeared.
“Look, Johnny
Top,” said Gramma. “Sand gnomes.”
They had bare
feet and wore speckled, sandy colored pants and shirts. Their faces had sandy
freckles by the thousand. They looked at Johnny Top with great interest. Gnomes
are puzzled by human babies and little ones—they can’t understand how such
vast, cosmic beings can be so helpless. It doesn’t make sense to them.
Johnny Top
stared back at them and laughed. “Who are you?” he asked. They looked funny to
him.
“I’m Cillie,”
said one with a huge big grin.
“And I’m
Conn,” said the other, winking an eye. “What are you doing?”
“Building a
sandcastle,” said Johnny Top. “Come play.”
“Okay,” said
Cillie and Conn and joined in straight away. They ran around and helped Johnny
Top build the castle.
“We can put a
wall here,” said Cillie, showing how to shape the sand.
“And a tower
there,” said Conn, and they built a tower.
“You can make
a gateway over here,” said Cillie, pointing. “You dig it out with your
fingers.”
“Now we need a
bridge over the moat,” said Conn. “Let’s look for a piece of wood.”
Johnny Top and
the gnomes searched the shore and found a piece of wood beside a clump of
seaweed. It became the bridge that spanned the moat. Then they put in pebble
windows and planted seaweed trees. Soon they had a real castle. All they needed
was a prince and princess standing on a tower. Everyone searched up and down
the beach for the prince and princess. Finally Gramma found two twirly
seashells.
“Here they
are,” said Gramma, and she put them side by side on top of two twigs on the
tower. Cillie and Conn touched them and they turned into a handsome prince and
princess. Johnny Top was delighted.
“Watch out!”
cried Gramma suddenly. “A wave’s coming.”
The wave shot
up the sand and everyone had to jump up and run away. It flooded the moat but
didn’t touch the castle.
“Deepen the
moat,” cried Cillie, and Johnny Top and Gramma dug furiously.
“Build a sea
wall,” shouted Conn. “The King of Tides is rising!”
They dug and
built the sea wall as fast as they could. They were just in time, for another
wave came washing up the beach. It hit the sea wall with a splash, but still
didn’t touch the castle.
“Yea, we saved
the castle,” cried Johnny Top, dancing around.
But the King
of Tides was coming in and coming in. Bit by bit the sea wall crumbled and
washed away.
“Save the
prince and princess,” said Gramma.
Cillie and Conn grabbed them from the tower and gave them to Johnny Top. A moment later the next wave
rushed over the sea wall and the castle began to crumble. Wave after wave came
and soon there was nothing but a pile of sand on the beach.
“That was
fun,” said Cillie and Conn, “but it’s time for us to go.”
“Bye, Cillie!
Bye, Conn!” called Johnny Top and Gramma.
Cillie and Conn waved goodbye and skipped down the beach towards the sea. They laughed and shouted
until a wave rushed towards them. Just before the water washed over their heads
they dived into the sand and were gone.
Chapter 46
Whale
Watching
After lunch
Farmer John took the kids whale watching. They drove into Summer’s Fort and
down Main Street. Just before the bridge that leaped across the Noyo River they turned left and wound their way down to the harbor.
They parked
the car and walked along the quay. Fishing and crabbing and pleasure boats
lined the docks. They rocked gently on the water or rattled and clanked as folk
got ready to go to sea. Farmer John stopped at a blue and white boat. It had a
small cabin towards the front just big enough for one or two people. Its name,
written neatly on the side, was
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